Thomas Jefferson Papers

Elbridge Gerry to Thomas Jefferson, 6 July 1813

From Elbridge Gerry

Washington 6 July 1813

Dear Sir

Your very friendly letter of the 19th of June has given me great pleasure. The preference you express for the office holden by me, to the first office of Government, is correspondent with your veiw of the same subject, when you was elected to the former place. The latter you then justly considered as a “station of splendid misery.” My opinion on both these points is perfectly coincident with your own.

Permit me to enclose a duplicate of my letter of the 15th of august last, in which was fully expressed my intention, in case of the election which has since taken effect, to pay my respects to you, at Monticello. But in addition to that, I had hoped for & expected the previous pleasure of meeting you here, in the bosom of your political family; & regret that any circumstances exist to defeat those veiws. My motive for sending the duplicate is, an apprehension existing at the date of the letter, that the activity of electioneering partizans would endanger its passage, & subject me to an apparent negligence; & the confirmation of that apprehension, by the silence of your last letter on the subject. The duplicate is in the hand writing of my eldest son, who graduates at Cambridge in august next, & is now here from a journey to Marietta for his health, which has been impaired by his academical studies. Present me in the most friendly terms to your amiable family, & be ever assured dear sir of the most aff & respectful Sentiments of your unfeigned friend

signed E Gery

PS. My son desires me to present “his best respects to the venerable President Jefferson.”

FC (NNPM); in Gerry’s hand; on address cover of RC of TJ to Gerry, 19 June 1813; at head of text: “Copy of the answer”; at foot of text: “His Excelly Mr Jefferson” and “turn over”; endorsed by Gerry. Recorded in SJL as received 14 July 1813. Enclosure: Gerry to TJ, 15 Aug. 1812.

On 13 May 1797 TJ wrote Gerry that while the role of vice president was “honorable and easy,” the presidency was a splendid misery (PTJ description begins Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, 1950– , 34 vols. description ends , 29:362). Gerry’s eldest son and namesake was soon to graduate from Harvard University in cambridge, Massachusetts.

Index Entries

  • Gerry, Elbridge (1744–1814); as vice president search
  • Gerry, Elbridge (1744–1814); fears his letters intercepted search
  • Gerry, Elbridge (1744–1814); letters from search
  • Gerry, Elbridge (1744–1814); wishes to see TJ search
  • Gerry, Elbridge (1793–1867); copies letter for father search
  • Gerry, Elbridge (1793–1867); health of search
  • Gerry, Elbridge (1793–1867); sends greetings to TJ search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; the presidency search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; vice presidency search